1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a system for adapting front lighting in branched road geometries.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional Adaptive Front Lighting (AFS) uses the steering angle and the vehicle speed as the core data to estimate the desired swivel angle of the headlamps. Accordingly, the system only reacts to the sensed instantaneous path of the vehicle. In some instances, however, the instantaneous vehicle path is not entirely indicative of road path in front of the vehicle or even the desired road path. This may often be true just before the vehicle enters or exits a curve, during a changing radius of curvature curve, or an S-curve scenario. Often it may be advantageous for the headlamps' performance to illuminate the upcoming road (leading the way) when it varies from the current vehicle path. For example, this may be desirable where the road branches or at an intersection. Therefore, lighting provided by conventional AFS systems would not be optimal in these scenarios. Another disadvantage of conventional AFS systems is their inability to predict the road geometry ahead. This can be a particular problem when approaching branches, on/off ramps, or intersections.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for an improved adaptive front lighting system for motor vehicles.